Deputies Search For Salem Man After An Ounce of Meth Is Discovered

SALEM – A Richardson County sheriff’s deputy responding to a domestic disturbance call in Salem, Neb., is credited for removing an ounce of methamphetamine from the streets.

Deputy Jonathan Kirkendall was dispatched to the village on July 29 and told a Richardson County judge that he noticed 42-year-old Michael Tinsley leaving the trailer house when he arrived.

The deputy said he saw the man drop something near a washing machine that was in the back yard. When the deputy went to investigate, he noticed a hole beneath a sheet of plywood.

The deputy said he could see a black bag in the hole, but Tinsley would not give him permission to check the bag’s contents. Court records say the deputy obtained a search warrant and retrieved the suspected methamphetamine.

The cost of a single use of meth at a quarter gram varies, but is typically at $25. At that amount, the ounce that would provide 112 uses. It was found in a town with only 107 residents.

It has an estimated street value of $2,800.

If convicted, Tinsley faces a prison sentence of 10 to 60 years in prison. He is still being sought by police.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts, is asked to contact the Richardson County Sheriff’s Office.